U.S. Government to Provide Additional 705 million KES to Kenya’s COVID-19 Response

Ambassador Kyle McCarter in an interview with Dala FM, a radio station based in Kisumu.

U.S. Government to Provide Additional 705 million KES to Kenya’s COVID-19 Response

Nairobi, Kenya, April 28, 2020 – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has committed $6.6 million (705 million KES) for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) activities in Kenya to support prevention, preparedness and response. These additional resources will be used for surveillance, laboratory supplies and strengthening, and surge staffing costs.

This funding builds on CDC’s long-standing global investments to control HIV, TB and malaria, eradicate polio, prepare for influenza and other pandemic diseases. For more than 40 years, CDC has supported Kenya’s Ministry of Health (MOH) to improve health security, which have laid foundations to rapidly and effectively prepare for emerging disease threats, including the current COVID-19 pandemic. CDC also funded the development and accreditation of the Kenya National Influenza Center – the first lab in Kenya accredited to test for the virus that causes COVID-19

Nearly $1.8 million will be immediately released to support critical needs for the COVID-19 response in Kenya. This funding will be used to procure diagnostic sampling and testing supplies, provide county-level support, expand surveillance of COVID-19, and support health care workers in infection prevention and control practices among other key activities.

The U.S. Ambassador to Kenya, Mr. Kyle McCarter, shares that “with an annual investment of more than 60 billion Kenyan shillings in annual support to Kenya’s health sector, USA Marifiki has been committed to the health of Kenyans well before COVID-19. However, our commitment goes beyond funding – it’s in our contribution to national policies, to investing in the healthcare workforce and to strengthening health systems. We have been working alongside Kenya’s public health officials for more than five decades and continue to stand with Kenya throughout this crisis.”

Since early January 2020, CDC has deployed nearly 50 Kenya-based technical experts to support Kenya to prepare for and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. These CDC employees are working side-by-side with Kenyan health officials at the national laboratory, county government offices, and the Public Health Emergency Operations Center in a range of activities, including:

Supporting trainings on preparedness and response measures at the national and county levels

Supporting the training of field epidemiologists (disease detectives) and giving them the necessary skills to collect, analyze and interpret data and contribute to evidence-based decisions.

Background

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is America’s premier health promotion, prevention, and preparedness agency and a global leader in public health. CDC is at the forefront of public health efforts to prevent and control infectious and chronic diseases, injuries, workplace hazards, disabilities, and environmental health threats. The agency is globally recognized for conducting research and investigations and for its action-oriented approach to public health.

The goal of CDC’s global health response to COVID-19 is to limit human-to-human transmission and minimize the global impact of COVID-19 through partnership with key country and non-governmental partners to mitigate vulnerabilities and gaps in preparedness. As appropriated by Congress in the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, $300 million was authorized for CDC’s global response to COVID-19.